Atebion i Holiadur 1937 gan W.G.A. Ormsby-Gore

Disgrifiad

Nodiadau a darlun yn y Saesneg, wedi ei dynnu a llaw, ac yn dyddio o 1938, gan Y Gwir Anrhydeddus W.G.A. Ormsby-Gore (11 Ebrill 1885 - 14 Chwefror 1964), a oedd yn aelod seneddol, ac yn ddiweddarach yn Arglwydd Harlech. Mae'r nodiadau a'r darlun yn rhoi gwybodaeth am ei d_ sef Glyn Cywarch yn Sir Feirionnydd, a oedd yn blas cofrestredig a adeiladwyd gan Wiliam Wynn yn 1616. Yn ogystal danfonwyd llythyr ganddo at Syr Cyril Fox. Roedd y wybodaeth yn ymateb i holiadur Amgueddfa Cymru, 1937, ar Ddiwyliant gwerin Cymru.

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Trawsgrifiad

 

 

[MS 90]

 

Nodiadau a darlun yn y Saesneg, wedi ei dynnu a llaw, ac yn dyddio o 1938, gan Y Gwir Anrhydeddus W. G. A. Ormsby-Gore (1885-1964), a oedd yn aelod seneddol, ac yn ddiweddarach yn Arglwydd Harlech. Mae'r nodiadau a'r darlun yn rhoi gwybodaeth am ei dŷ sef Glyn Cywarch yn Sir Feirionnydd, a oedd yn blas cofrestredig a adeiladwyd gan Wiliam Wynn yn 1616. Yn ogystal danfonwyd llythyr ganddo at Syr Cyril Fox. Roedd y wybodaeth yn ymateb i holiadur Amgueddfa Cymru, 1937, ar Ddiwyliant gwerin Cymru.

Notes and a rough plan in English, dated 1938, in the hand of the Rt. Hon. W. G. A. Ormsby-Gore (1885-1964), an MP who later became Lord Harlech, and giving details on his house Glyn Cywarch in Merioneth, a grade II listed manor built in 1616 by William Wynn. It was a reply to the National Museum's questionnaire of 1937 on Welsh folk culture. Also included is a letter to Sir Cyril Fox from W. G. A. Ormsby Gore.

 

 

[MS 90_0001 – letter | llythr]

 

Glyn, Talsarnau, North Wales.

Jan 4^th 1938

Dear Fox,

 In connection with your questionnaire on Welsh Folk Culture you may like to have the enclosed description of this house. I have not included notes on pictures etc. which have all been introduced

 

 

[MS 90_0002]

 

into the house by very immediate forbears since 1871 when they began to reoccupy the house, its principal interest being what derives from the 17^th century. Owing to the break of the family residence between the time of Sir Robert Owen (died 1698) & the coming of the railway

 

 

[MS 90_0003]

 

Glyn is probably one of the least altered Welsh gentleman's houses left – the three heraldic overmantels in local plasterwork being of special interest. My father has now made over the house & gardens to me & we hope to spend our August & September holidays here each year. If you or any of your staff are in this

 

 

[MS 90_0004]

 

neighbourhood at this time, you may like to let me know and take any further notes that would be of value to your survey.

For the moment I am trying to gain physical health by rough shooting in Morfa Harlech where there are large quantities of snipe & wildfowl (including a lot of shoveller).

With best wishes for 1938

[signature]

 

 

[MS 90_0005 – letter | llythr]

 

Copy

National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 8^th January 1937 [[8] added in pencil]

Dear Ormsby Gore,

How very kind of you to send me the description of your very interesting house. I have been reading it with Peate, and he says he would very much like to study it, and photograph the overmantels, etc. I, too, if in North Wales while you are spending your summer holiday at Glyn, would like to look at it.

I do hope that you are recovering from the strain of your work. We do realise what a strenuous and  responsible job you have, and how little relaxation you get.

I spent a delightful evening yesterday as one of the guests at the Royal Academy Club Dinner: afterwards we went round the Exhibition. There are some surprising pictures. I was most impressed by the quality and interest of the pictures that had never in our lifetime been on public Exhibition. The miniatures from Windsor were a delight. And what a miracle the “Adoration” is!

Everything goes well here. Twiston Davies has presented another dozen drawings of Contemporary Welshmen. And that reminds me: the Council hopes you will generously follow precedent, and add your portrait in due course to the complete series of Presidents in the Courtroom!

Yours very sincerely,

(signed)

Cyril Fox

 

 

[MS 90_0006]

 

Note on Glyn, Talsarnau, Merioneth.

The present house and the 3 storied [sic] Gate house at Glyn, 3 miles N.E. of Harlech was built by William Wynne who was Sheriff of Merioneth in 1618 and died in 1658. The date of the existing house is given in the spandrels of the Tudor arch which forms the front entrance viz 1616. Over the arch are the arms of William Wynne impaling those of Owen Gwynedd & the initials W.W. & K.W. cut in a single stone. This William Wynne married Katherine, eldest daughter of Lewis Anwyl of Park, Llanfrothen, Merionethshire. Her sister Margaret married Peter Pennant and was the grandmother of Thomas Pennant the author of “Tours in Wales” etc.

William Wynne, the builder of Glyn, was descended from [?Giborn] Fitzgerald (in Ireland) whose arms he bore, and his forbears settled in Merionethshire about the time of the English conquest.

William Wynne's son & successor was Owen Wynne

 

 

[MS 90_0007]

 

who married Elizabeth Mostyn daughter of Robert Mostyn of Nant Flint (a silver tankard [?ball] marked 1660 bearing the arms of Owen Wynne impaling Mostyn is at Brogyntyn). Owen Wynne died in 1682 leaving an only daughter and heiress Margaret Wynne. In 1683 she married Sir Robert Owen of Parkington (now Brogyntyn) Oswestry & of  Elenneney (Caernarvonshire). This Sir Robert Owen was the eldest son of Col. Owen who defended Harlech castle for Charles I in the Civil War. Sir Robert Owen was born in 1658 and died in 1698. He succeeded to his father's estates in 1679 and became M.P. For Merionethshire in 1681 & later was M.P. for Caernarvon from 1689 to 1698. He was knighted in 1685, & often resided at Glyn. Sir Robert Owen was the great great grandfather of the 1^st Lord Harlech to whom Glyn now belongs.

The family appears rarely to have visit Glyn from the time of Sir Robert Owen till 1871 when the 1^st  Lord Harlech added to the house and built stables etc either side of the old Jacobean gate house and refurnished the mansion.

 

 

 

[MS 90_0008]

 

The original house of 1616 was T shaped in plan. The principal front is 54ft long and consists of two principal stories [sic] with attics over lit by three stone gabled dormer windows that a build [sic] flush with the front. The windows are stone mullioned & in the two main floors have a single transom. Over each window is a Tudor dripstone [small sketch]. The house is built of local stone with ashlar window frames and front door. The depth of the principal front is 24 feet and the external walls are 3 feet in thickness on the ground floor. This floor, in front is now divided into central hall, living room on the south and dining room on the north. The latter still contains the original plaster work over mantle with the arms of William Wynne and Katherine Anwyl (8 quarterings in all) painted in correct colours between full length plaster figures of Adam and Eve. This heraldic decoration is dated 1638 - & similar overmantles with 4 quarterings each & these dated 1639

 

 

[MS 90_0009]

 

decorate the overmantles of the two principal bedrooms above – i.e. over the dining and living rooms respectively. The doorway from the central hall toward the kitchen is surrounded by an elaborate carved oak architectural setting which is clearly from the style earlier in date than the existing house at Glyn, and is said to have come from  Elenneney Caernarvonshire. The oak staircase leads out of the central hall on the north side onto a landing decorated with fine oak pannellings [sic] brought by the 3^rd Lord Harlech from  Penrhos old Hall, Penrhos  when that half timbered structure was demolished.

A certain amount of the original black oak furniture of local manufacture dating from the time of William & Katherine Wynne remains in the house. Notably there are two two tier carved oak sideboards and a series of drawer chests – one of which on the landing is exceptionally fine in scale and carvings. In the principal bedroom is a fine Welsh Tridarn – of oak inlaid with other woods including an inlay

 

 

[MS 90_0010]

 

of Adam & Eve, the tree & serpent. This tridarn bears the date 1694. Among the books that came from Glyn, now at Brogyntyn is a fine copy of the 2^nd  folio of Shakespeare rebound in leather by Robert Owen about 1690. The third page bears the autograph of Lewis Anwyl, father of Katherine Wynne of Glyn

The gate house N.E. of the hall was original square in plan – the arched gateway out of the centre with a small room on the north side – a stone stairway leads to the upper stories [sic] some of the rooms of which have the original lattice diamond shaped glass panes. The gatehouse has four  gables with windows onto the gables on the E. and W. sides – there are 2 stone chimneys on the N. and S. gables. All the chimneys at Glyn are tall stone chimneys with stone cornices. In the principal rooms large oak beams cross the ceilings but these have been plastered over and whitewashed in the 19^th century.

Rough sketch plan of the ground floor attached.

Jan 1938

[signature]

 

 

[MS 90_0011]

 

[drawn plan including hall, living room ,dining room, kitchen, modern study and offices etc]

Glyn, Talsarnau, Merioneth, N. Wales.

Rough plan (old part to scale)